Car coupler



June 16, 1925. 1,542,303

' W. KELSO CAR COUPLER Filed 'Jan. 31. 1923 l ation"?- Patented June 16,1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM KELso, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MGCONWAY &'IORLEY COMPANY, orrrr'rssuaen, PENNSYLVANIA. A conroaacr'ron Or IPENNSYLVANIA.

can COUPLER.

" Application filed January a1, 1933. Serial No. 616,121.

'To' all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM KELso, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CarCouplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to'which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to car couplers of the MasterCar'Builders type andparticularly to the well known form called the standard D-coupler. Thefeatures of construction hereinafter described and claimed are, however,not limited in their application to that particular form of coupler.

The object of the inventionis to provide simple and easily applied meansfor limiting the extent to which the 'lock lifter of a top operatingD-coupler may drop when the mechanism is in service, thus precluding thelifter. at any time or under any conditions from assuming a position inwhich it'isincapable of performing its intended function of moving thelock to unlocked position.

The'knuckle of the D-coup'leris normally retained in closed or coupledposition by means of a vertically sliding and rearwardly swinging lock.As applied to freight cars this look is usually actuated by a liftermember which at its lower end is detachably and slidably connected tothelock and extends upwardly therefrom through an opening in the upper wallof the coupler head. The lifter is operatively connected at its upperend to a suitable uncoupling rod or release mechanism by which the'trainman while standing at the side of the car may operate the lifterto effect themovements of the lock necessary to unlock the knuckle andeffect an outward rotation thereof. When in normal locked relation thelower end of the lifter member projects rearwardly beyond the lock andextends beneath a shoulder or lock down lug formed upon the interior of,the coupler head. This relation of the lifter tothe lock down lug ofthe head is designed to prevent the coupler look from accidental- :lymoving upwardly to a position in which the lock no longer restrainsuncoupling rot te-ti h j ve le e su f es of the lock.

lifter and lock the release rigging is ineffective to'accomplish anunlocking movedismantled.

however, the parts of the coupler are altered in size through wear andthey thus become capable of assuming relations detrimental to efficientoperation of the mechanism. As at present constructed the association inthe D-coupler of a worn lock lifter with a coupler head in which thelock down lug is of reduced lengtl'l allows the lifter todrop below itsnormal position, thereby permitting the trunnions with which the lowerend of the lifter member is provided to pass out of the lifter receivingslot at the upper end In this altered relation of the merit of thelatter. Under such circumstances if the coupler is required to /beunlocked the trainman must 'go between the cars where he can reach thelifter and then coupler lockto be actuated by the operation of thecoupler release rigging; but if the lifter cannot thus be returned to aposition where its trunnions are within the slot of the lock and itslower end is withdrawn from beneath the lock down lug of the "couplerhead, it becomes necessary to cut or otherwise destroy the knuckle orother parts of the mechanism before the coupler can be Moreover, f wherethe worn lifter is associated with a coupler head-having a short lockdown lug the disconnection of the uncoupling rod or release rigging fromthe lifter may result, unless care 1s taken, in allowing the lifter todrop and pass entirely within the coupler head, re-

' quiring in that case also the destruction of parts in order to effectdismantling of the device. By my invention these undesirable effects areobviated and the lock lifter member is prevented from assuming aninoperative position with respect'to the lock whether parts of standardsize or of wornsize are assembled in a coupler head wherein the lockdown lug is of reduced length.

In the drawings illustrating my invention as app to a Master Gar Bui dertandard D-eoupler Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the mechanisminvolving the invention, the lock, knuckle openeig knuckle and locklifter member being in elevation and the parts in locked relation.

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view of a D coupler as at presentconstructed, show ing the manner in which a worn lifter when associatedwith a coupler head having a short lock down lug is permitted to dropbelow its normal position;

Figure 3 is a detail plan view of a lifter 'etaining device for limitingthe extent to which the locking block lifter may descend.

Figure 4 is a detail side elevation of the lifter retainer;

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5, Fig. 3. the relation of thelocklifter to the litter retainer being indicated in dotted lines.

Figure 6 is a detail rear elevation of the lifter retainer;

In the drawings 1 is the coupler head and 2 is the knuckle rotatablymounted thereon.

The knuckle is normally prevented from executing an uncoupling rotatlonby means of the well known form of locking block 8 having a dependingleg 4 which extends downwardly through an opening 5 in the lower wall ofthe coupler head. The lock 3,

'which is capable of sliding vertically and swinging rearwardly in thecoupler head, is seated when in. locked position upon the standard formof pivoted knuckle opening lever 6 with which the D-coupler is equipped.Upward vertical movement of the lock results in releasing the knucklefor outward rotation. and the rearward swinging move m'ent of the saidlock causes its depending leg 4 to press rearwardly against the knuckleopening lever 6, thereby effecting an uncoupling rotation of the knuckle2.

hen designed for top operation the lock of the llcoupler is actuated bya lifter member 7 which is assembled in the mechanism by inserting itthrough the mouth of the coupler head 1 and then passing its upper endthrough an opening 8 in the top wall of the said head. The lower end ofthe lifter member 7 ,is detach ably and slidably connected to thelocking block 3, the said block be-ii' n' formed at its upper end withan upwardly and rearwardly opening slot 9 which receives the lower endof the lifter and being provided with rearwardly opening trunnionreceiving recesses into which the oppositely projecting trunnions 11formed on the lower end of the lifter extend when the parts are inopera- Mbeneath which the lower end of the lifter member 7 extends whenthe parts are in locked relation; Then the uncoupling lever or releaserigging 13 is actuated to pull upwardly upon the litter the trunnions 11of the latter slide in the recesses of the lock andtl'iusinducethe lowerend of the lifter. to be withdrawn from beneath the lock down lug 14,thereby enabling a subsequent unlocking movementof the lock to beperformed. As shown in Fig. 1, the lifter 7 is provided above its lowerend with a rear face or shoulder 15 which by overlapping the lock down'lug 14 is designed toprevent the lifter 7 from dropping too low or frompassing completely into the interior of the coupler head; but, asillustrated in Fig. 2,

this means of limiting the downward m'ovement of the lifter ceases tofunction where a lock lifter ,7 that is worn by serviceis associatedwith a coupler-having-a short lock down lug 14. In the latter case thedistance to which the litter may descend into the coupler head islimited only by the engagement of the uncoupling rod 13 with the top ofthe coupler head 1.

For limiting the downward movement of the lifter 7 with respect to thelock 3 so that these parts shall always maintain an operative relationpermittingt'he lock to be released by'a'ctuation of the release rigging13, the upper end of the lifter outside of the the litter the rear lug18 ispreterably bent or closed inwardly, as shown; in Fig. 1, so as toprevent the lifter from being disengaged from the retainer member 16,thereby preventing the lifter' from passing downwardly into the interiorof the coupler head 1 should the uncoupling lever 13 be disconnectedfrom the lifter. This rear lug 18 should not be tightly closed' againstthe lifter '7 it being only necessary to close it sufficiently toprevent the retainer from passing the end of the lifter. V

The sides of the retainer 16 are formed with oppositely disposed eyes orapertures 19 for receiving the uncoupling rod 18. It will be understoodthat the uncoupling rod, so long. as it extends through the aperture 120f t e lifter and the apertures l9 of the retainer mem'ber, serves to'maintain the retainer 16 in such relation to the lifter 7 that thelatter is supportedat its proper height when the parts are in lockedposition regardless'of the size or condition of wear of the lifter,th elock, and lock down lug 14: of the coupler head. To accommodate theshape of the upper end of the lifter 7 employed in the D-coupler thelower part of the retainer 16 is undercut or formed with rearwardlyflaring notches or recesses 20.

In addition to providing for retaining the or in which a coupler head orbody is provided with a lock down lug of standard size or of reducedlength.

I claim 1. Ina car coupler, the combination with a coupler head, of aknuckle pivotally mounted thereon, a lock for said knuckle, said lockbeing formed with an upwardly and rearwardly opening slot, a lock lifterfor actuating said lock, said lock lifter being detachably connected tosaid lockby trunnions formed on said lifter and extending into saidslot, means for actuating said lock lifter, and means engaging the upperend of said lifter for limiting downward and rearward movement of saidtrunnions with respect to said lock, said last named means operatingindependently of said means for actuating said lifter.

2. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head, of a knucklepivotally mounted thereon, a lock for said knuckle having an upwardlyand rearwardly opening slot, a lock lifter foractuating said lock, thelower end of said lifter extending into said slot and being slidablyconnected to said lock and being adapted to engage a portion of saidcoupler head to prevent accidental unlocking of said lock, means foractuating said lifter, and means mounted on said lifter outside of saidhead for limiting downward movement of said lifter with respect to saidlock, said last named means operating independently of said means foractuating the lifter.

3. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head, of a knucklepivotally mounted thereon, a lock for said knuckle, a lock lifterslidably and detachably connected to said lock and extending upwardly than p ng n aid head s id litte being: provided with trunnions at itslower end, and said lock being formed with a rearwardly opening recessadapted to receive saidtrunnions, -means I for actuatingsaid lifter, andmeans operating independently ofsaid last named means and mounted on theupper end of said lifter forlimiting the downward movement of saidlifter with re spect to said lock.

4. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head, of a knucklepivotally mounted thereon, a lock for said knuckle, a lock lifterslidably and detachably connected to said look within said head, saidlifter having a portion adapted to engage said head to preventaccidental unlocking of said lock, and means mounted on said lifter formaintaining the latter in operative relation to said lock, said meansbeing formed with an opening receiving the upper end of said lifter.

5. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head, of a knucklepivotally mounted thereon, a lock for said knuckle, a lock lifterslidably and detachably connected to said look within said head, andmeans mounted onsaid lifter and adapted to engage said head formaintaining said lifter I in operative relation to said lock, said meansbeing formed with an opening receiving the upper end of said lifter andbeing provided with a plurality of lugs adapted to engage opposite sidesof said lifter.

6. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head, of a knucklepivotally mounted thereon, a lock for said knuckle, a lock lifterslidably and detachably connected to said look within said coupler head,and means mounted on said lifter for maintaining the latter in operativerelation to said lock, said means being formed with an opening receivingthe upper end of said lifter and being provided with means for retainingthe upper end of said lifter in said opening.

7. In a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head, of a knucklepivotally mounted thereon, a lock for said knuckle, a lock lifterslidably connected at its lower end to said look within said head andextending upwardly through an opening in said head, means for actuatingsaid lock lifter, and means operating independently of said lifteractuating means for prevent-,

ing said look from being disassociated from 7 said lifter.

8.- In a coupler, the combination of a head, a lock mounted in saidhead, a lifter for said look, a collar mounted on said lifter andcooperating with said head to prevent movement of said lifter beyond acertain predetermined amount in a given direction for prgiwentingjamming of said lifter, and an uncoupling rod forming an operativeconeest e bet een a 91; l t r and llar,-

9; Inla ou'pler, tjhe coinb ilfatidn of ahead having anti-ereepp'o'rtion, a 160k mounted in said head, a lifter for said lbck having anaiiti-creep' portion for cooperating with the 5 anti-creep" pqrtio'n ofthe head to prevent Creeping Of the loclg-gnd a collar opera'tivelyconne'cfied to the lifter and cooperating with the .head for limitingdownward mqvement of the lock lifter to prevent jamming of said lifterbetween the anti-creep portion ofsai'd 10 head and Said lock. 7 Y e Intestimony whereof I affix my signeture'; 1-; I

WVILLIAM KELSO.

